David Tennant was considered for Hannibal alongside Mads Mikkelsen
Here’s a surprising story that we didn’t anticipate hearing this weekend — apparently, there is an alternate timeline in which David Tennant could have been the star of Hannibal on NBC rather than Mads Mikkelsen. The former Doctor Who actor had discussed the role with executive producer Bryan Fuller at some point before the casting of Mads was official; eventually, Tennant did go on to star as another infamous character in Kilgrave on Jessica Jones.
Speaking in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly on the subject of his casting, Tennant had the following to say on the subject:
“I met Bryan Fuller a couple of times, and we talked about it … But I think they quite wisely chose Mads Mikkelsen, I think he was a perfect choice for it, and I think he did things with that character that I wouldn’t have managed, so I think the right man got the job.”
It is an interesting thought experiment to imagine what Hannibal would have looked like in the event Tennant got the role but, as much as we do respect him for his work, we do think that Mikkelsen was the perfect choice for this role. He brought such a subdued creepiness to that part that it’s hard to imagine anyone else pulling off either the gravitas or the complexity of the relationship he had with Will Graham. Hannibal is a story that is very much about obsession as it is about murder. It’s a fantastic show that we very much miss and we do hope that there will be some sort of opportunity to see it again in the future. As of this writing we haven’t heard all that much when it comes to season 4 revival plans but we know that the enthusiasm is still out there among its loyal audience (including all of us here at CarterMatt). We are in an era where so many other shows are getting another shot; why not go ahead and add Hannibal to the list? We needs some answers after that crazy cliffhanger!